1. The Field of the Art
The present invention relates to an integrated outlet that allows external appliances to be attached to electrical power and communications lines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of outlets are known for establishing electrical connection with AC and DC power. Similarly, outlets are known for establishing communications with digital communications lines.
In order to make installation of wiring in homes simpler, it has been proposed to install a cable having a multitude of conductors that can supply both electrical power and communications signals to various parts of a building, such as a house. In order to access the power and communications signals that are transmitted along a cable such as this, a special type of outlet is necessary.
An example of one type of proposed outlet exists in U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,536. This outlet provides a simple way of establishing an electrical connection to a ribbon cable containing various conductors that transmit both power and communications signals. However, this outlet only provides a simple connection, so that an external device can be connected to the receptacles. Thus, the 120 V AC or 240 V AC power that is transmitted along the line is also always transmitted to the receptacle. Thus, because the power receptacle is always "hot", an electrical short can easily occur.
Furthermore, it is necessary to attach many appliances, switches and sensors directly to the cable containing power and communications conductors rather than through an external receptacle in a convenient and standardized format.
Thus a new outlet that can establish electrical connections in various ways to a cable having both power and communications conductors is necessary.